Device for guiding a ribbon in a typewriter or similar machine

ABSTRACT

A ribbon vibrator body carries in association with each of two opposite lateral recesses an arm to provide therewith normally two closed ribbon guiding eyes. Said arms are pivotally carried on said body above said recesses for forward swinging movement from closed eye to open eye positions but are under bias to closed eye positions. The arrangement is such that if a ribbon is lowered behind said body at said recesses and then at each side of the body is drawn forwardly, said arms will first yield out of the way of the ribbon and thus will open said eyes to receive the ribbon and then will by the seated bias move to closed eye positions to entrap the ribbon.

United States Patent Inventor Rinaldo Salto lvrea, Turin, Italy Appl. No. 762,788 Filed Sept. 26, 1968 Patented May 11, 1971 Assignee Ing. C. Olivetti & C.,S.p.A.

lvrea, Turin, Italy Priority Oct. 12, 1967 v Italy 53320-A/67 DEVICE FOR GUIDING A RIBBON IN A I 'I'YPEWRITER OR SIMILAR MACHINE Primary Examiner-Emest '1'. Wright, Jr. Attomey-Kevin C. McMahon ABSTRACT: A ribbon vibrator body carries in association with each of two opposite lateral recesses an arm to provide therewith normally two closed ribbon guiding eyes. Said amis are pivotally carried on said body above said recesses for forward swinging movement from closed eye to open eye positions but are under bias to closed eye positions. The arrangement is such that if a ribbon is lowered behind said body at said recesses and then at each side of the body is drawn forwardly, said arms will first yield out of the way of the ribbon and thus will open said eyes to receive the ribbon and then will by the seated bias move to closed eye positions to entrap the ribbon.

PI'QATENTEDMAYHIBYI I 3578.137

SHEET 1 or 2 INVENTOR RINALDO SALTO PATENTEU MAY! 1 mm I 3 578 sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. RINA LDO SALTO j aw DEVICE FOR GUIDING A RIBBON'IN A TYPEWRITER R SIMILAR MACHINE This invention relates to typewriters and other printing machines, wherein printing elements effect imprints through the medium of a pigment coated or impregnated ribbon. More particularly, the invention relates to ribbon carrying devices such as ribbon vibrators having one or more ribbon guiding eyes, which eyes, for facilitating the installation of ribbon therein, include a gate or armwhich is required to be moved from a closed eye to an open eye position to facilitate ribbon installation. Upon the placement of the ribbon in the opened guiding eye, the eye gates are usually required to be deliberately moved to closed eye positions. In one known machine, a single control lever is operable to open and lock open both eye gates. Later, incidental to the first effected'typing operation the gates are released for closure but obviously this is liable to affect the printing force and there is no assurance that the ribbon will become properly entrapped.

According to the present invention, a ribbon guiding eye of a ribbon carrying or vibrating body comprises a lateral recess therein and a movable gate or arm which has normally a closed eye relation to said recess. Moreover, said arm has a normal relation spaced from the base of said recess and is so movably disposed on the ribbon vibrating body that by laying a ribbon first in a straight condition contiguous to the rear thereof and then pulling it at the side of the arm forwardly, the said arm becomes first moved by the ribbon to open eye position, thereby to admit the ribbon into the so opened eye and further becomes then automatically closed to entrap the ribbon for guidance in the such eye.

These and other characteristics and features of the invention will become clearly disclosed in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the ac companying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a right-hand, fragmentary side view showing a ribbon vibrator embodying the structure of the invention;

FIGS. 2 to 5, inclusive, show the ribbon vibrator of the invention as seen from the front of the machine in accord with a viewing direction II-ll indicated in FIG. 1, variously in different condition;

FIG. 2 shows the ribbon vibrator in a normal, closed eye condition, the ribbon being in the process of being lowered therebehind in an initial step in its installing procedure;

FIG. '3 shows the ribbon at each side of the vibrator forwardly drawn to exert influences on the opposite eye gates for 1 opening the ribbon guiding eyes;

FIG. 4 shows the ribbon eye gates closed so that the ribbon is entrapped by the closed eyes;

FIG. 5 shows the left eye gate moved to an open position for facilitating the removal of the ribbon from the opened eye;

FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a right-hand half of a modified form of a ribbon vibrator which embodies a molded gate arm; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an axis-affording element for the gate arm of FIG. 6.

The numeral 6 in FIG. 1, designates a conventional paper supporting platen of a typewriter. In front of said platen 6 there are situated type bars 7 in a usual arcuate array. These type bars 7 are pivotally carried on a pivot wire 8, for printing movement against said platen 6, said wire 8 being borne ona usual segment 9. Said type bars 7, when operated, strike at a common printing point against the platen 6. A usual carriage supports the platen 6 for letter feeding movement incidental to each typing stroke.

Situated closely in front of the platen 6 is a ribbon vibrator body 11 which incidental to each operation of any type bar 7 is linearly displaced upwardly and rearwardly, in a known manner, from a normal position below the printing point, shown in FIG. 1, to an elevated position to present a pigment impregnated or coated ribbon, indicated at 12, at said printing point. V

Said vibrator body 11 comprises two upreaching laterally spaced branches 13 providing a void 20 for the types to strike therebetween against the platen 6 at the printing point. Each said vibrator branch 13 has at the outer lateral side a broad ribbon guiding recess 15 which at the upper expanse limit affords a laterally outwardly reaching upper element or lug 16, and which at the bottom is bordered by a laterally outwardly reaching lower element or lug 21. On the front side of each body branch 13, at a distance laterally of the base ofthe recess 15 thereat, a gate structure 18 formed of stiff wire and comprising a gate arm 19 is pivotally carried beyond the expanse of the recess 15 to form therewith normally a closedribbon guiding eye indicated at 22 in FIG. 2. Said gate structures 18 arepreferably pivotally carried beyond the upper ends of the recesses 15 and the lugs 16 are preferably curled to form substantially horizontal, hollow cylinders 17 wherein pivotal shaft portions 23 of said gate structures 18 have broad pivotal support. Said gate arms 19 extend preferably at somewhat obtuse angles from said pivotal portions 23, and each rests normally rearwardly against its related lower lug 21, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Each gate structure 18, at the end of the pivotal shaft portion 23 which is opposite to the gate arm 19, has a forwardly reaching manipulative member arm 24 which has a counterbalance action on the gate arm 19 and ends in a handle portion 26 that doubles back parallel to the pivotal portion 23.

The center of gravity of each complete gate structure 18 is forward of the pivotal shaft portion 23, so that the gate arms 19 are under a bias to move downwardly and rearwardly into contact with the lugs '21. If lifting effort is applied to the handle portion 26 of either gate structure 18, its gate arm 19 will swing to open eye position, see the left gate arm 18 in FIG. 5.

Preferably the recesses 15 are slanted outwardly toward the bottom and preferably the lugs 16 and 21 are slightly forwardly branching from the respective vibrator branches 13, all as clearly illustrated.

When it is desired to install a ribbon 12 on the vibrator 1 1, it is first lowered in a straight condition, see FIG. 2, behind the vibrator structure 13, 18 to a position substantially even with said notch formation 15. If then the ribbon 12 at each side of the vibrator body 13 is drawn forwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 3, portions of the ribbon l2directly to the sides of the bases of the recesses 15 will swing forwardly and will by contact with the two gate arms 19 cam and pivotally swing them forwardly and upwardly to the positions seen in FIG. 3, and a little further, so that finally the ribbon 12 will slip at each side of the vibrator structure 11 inwardly past the ends of the lifted gate arms 19. While the operator then still holds the ribbon 12 forwardly for a moment, the gate arms 19 will under gravity bias move to the closed eye positions seen in FIG. 4, wherein said gate arms 19 are again in rearward, closed eye contact with the lugs 21. Thus, the ribbon 12 becomes entrapped for guidance in the closed ribbon guiding eyes 22.

Preferably the ribbon 12 is supplied with two spools, not

shown, so that by grasping the two spools with opposite hands it can be efiiciently installed without smudging the hands.

When the ribbon 12 is required to be removed, the operator preferably first slacks the ribbon 12 a little between the ribbon spools and then lifts the gate arms 19 either consecutively or conjointly by lifting the handle portions 26. In so doing, see left portion of FIG. 5, each gate arm 19 deflects the ribbon 12 temporarily inwardly a little and as the terminal end of the gate am 19 rises above the upper edge of the ribbon 12. The latter then flexes outwardly a little to be disposed outwardly beyond the terminal end of the said gate arm 19, see the left portion of FIG. 5. When subsequent to forward operation of both gate arms 19 the handle portions 26 are released, the gate arms 19 are free to assume by gravity influence their normal positions seen in FIG. 2. Obviously, the ribbon I2 is then disposed behind the vibrator branches I3 and to the rear of gate arms 19, and by grasping the spools can be lifted from the machine without smudging the hands. The upper extremities of the two vibrator branches 13 preferably have forwardly bent lips 14 so that the ribbon 12 is efliciently introducible down between the platen 6 and said vibrator branches 13.

In FIG. 6 is shown a right half of a modified form of the ribbon vibrator of the invention. A right-hand branch 33 of the vibrator body has a lateral ribbon guiding recess 35, the upper and lower limits of which are defined respectively by lugs 36 and 41. A gate structure 38 consists of molded polyethylene and includes a gate arm 39. Said gate structure 38 is pivotally carried at the upper end of said arm 39 by a curled formation 37 of the lug 36 and includes a forward reaching arm 44 which has a counterbalance action on the arm 39 and is forwardly reaching from said upper end of the arm 39. A handle extension 46 reaches leftwardly from the arm 44. A straight leg 47 of a U-shaped rod member 48 has a pivotal fit in said curled formation 37 and a tight fit in a hole 49 in the upper end of the gate arm 39. Another straight leg 51 of said U-shaped member 48, parallel to the leg 47, has a press fit in a hole 50 of said handle extension 46. The end of the rod leg 51, see FIG. 7, is spear-ended as at 52 and affords shallow opposite protuberances 53 whereby the rod leg 51 has a press fit. The gate structure 38 is efficiently assemblable on the curled formation 37 for pivotal support thereon by introducing the leg 47 into said curled formation 37 and the hole 49 in the gate arm 39 and concomitantly introducing and forcing said leg 51 into the hole 50 of the handle extension 46.

Polyethylene is used for said gate structure 38 because it has substantially no chemical afiinity for the color matter on the carbon or fabric ribbon, so that no color matter from the ribbon 12 will build up thereon. The lug 41 and the lower end of said recess 35 has a jacket or sleeve 54 of polyethylene applied or molded thereto in order to avoid the accumulation of color matter. It has been found necessary only to cover the lower portion of the ribbon guiding recess 35.

Variations may be resorted to without departing from the inventive concept of the invention. For example, gate arms of shorter length reaching toward each other from the lugs 19 and 21 may be provided. Obviously, also the gate arms may be spring-urged to closed eye positions.

lclaim:

l. A device for guiding a ribbon in a typewriter or similar machine, comprising a ribbon vibrator having a ribbon guiding recess extending thereinto from at least one lateral side thereof, said vibrator having a first element integral with an upper part of said vibrator and a second element integral with a lower part of said vibrator to define opposite sides of said recess so that said recess is substantially C-shaped and having an arm carried on said vibrator to provide in conjunction with said recess normally a closed ribbon guiding eye which is openable for reception of a ribbon,

distinguished by pivotal means carried by said first element to pivotally mount said arm beyond the end of said first element, and

biasing means normally biasing said arm to contact said second element across said recess,

said elements being so shaped as to cause said arm when so contacting said second element to assume a closed eye position inclined outwards and rearwards from said end of said first element,

said arm being so mounted as to be moved readily to wide open eye position by forward pressure exerted thereon, whereby if a stretch of ribbon is lowered behind said vibrator to a position at said recess and then is drawn forwardly, the ribbon will by camming contact move said arm first to wide open eye position and then to closed eye position entrapping thereby the ribbon for guidance in the closed ribbon guiding eye.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, distinguished by that said biasing means comprise a counterbalance L-shaped member integral with said arm and adjacent to said first element for gravity biasing said arm to move to said closed eye position, a portion of said counterbalance member being manipulatively operable to move said arm to said wide open eye position for facilitating ribbon removal.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1, distinguished by that said first element has a substantially horizontal pivot hole affording lug,

that said arm consists of plastic material,

that said arm has a hole in line with the hole in said pivot hole affording lug,

a forwardly extending member integral with said arm having in front of said pivot hole affording lug a hole parallel to the hole in the arm,

and a member of U-shaped form having two parallel legs one of which extends pivotally through the hole in said pivot hole affording lug and fits the hole in said arm, and the other of which has a binding press fit in the hole of said forwardly extending member.

4. A ribbon vibrating device in a typewriter or similar machine, comprising a ribbon vibrator having a ribbon guiding recess extending thereinto from two opposite lateral sides thereof, and having for each one of said recesses a first element integral with an upper part of said vibrator and a second element integral with a lower part of said vibrator to define two opposite sides of the related recess so that each one of said recesses is substantially C-shaped, and having in respect to each one of said recesses a related arm providing in conjunction with its related recess a normally closed ribbon guiding eye which is openable for reception of a ribbon,

distinguished by pivotal means carried by each said first element to pivotally mount the related arm beyond the end of said first element, and

biasing means normally biasing both said arms to contact the related second element across the related recess,

said elements being so shaped as to cause the related arm when contacting the related second element to assume a closed eye position inclined outwards and rearwards from said end of the related'first element,

each of said anns being so mounted as to be moved readily to wide open eye position by forward pressure exerted thereon, whereby if a stretch of ribbon is lowered behind said vibrator to a position at said recesses and then is drawn forwardly at the lateral sides of both said recesses, the ribbon will by camming contact move both said arms out of its way to said wide open eye position and then to said closed eye position, entrapping thereby the ribbon for guidance in the closed guiding eyes.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, distinguished by that said biasing means comprise a counterbalance L-shaped member integral with each one of said arms and adjacent to the related first element for gravity biasing the related arm to move to said closed eye position, a portion of each one of said counterbalance members being manipulatively operable to move said arms to said wide open eye position for facilitating ribbon removal.

6. The invention set forth in claim 4, distinguished by that each of said first elements has a substantially horizontal pivot hole affording lug, that each one of said amts has extending from it a pivot shaft which extends on the vibrator inwardly to said pivotal hole affording lug and has broad pivotal support hereon, and that at the extending end of each one of said pivot shafts there is a forwardly reaching manipulative member to move the pivotally carriedarm to open eye position, each of said arms, its related pivot shaft and its manipulative member being formed of a single stiff bent wire.

7. Eye members for receiving and guiding a ribbon on a ribbon vibrator of a typewriter or similar machine comprising:

upper and lower lugs extending from either side of said ribbon vibrator for defining a generally C-shaped open area on either side of said ribbon vibrator for receiving said ribbon, and

a pair of closure members pivotally mounted one each on said upper lugs for closing the open ends of said C-shaped areas for retaining the ribbon therein, said closure members including: leg means extending from said upper lug to the forward surface of said lower lug proximate the open end of said C-shaped area for being pivoted forwardly about said upper lug and out of contact with said lower lug under the influence of forward camming pressure of the ribbon during the insertion thereof into the eye members "8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said biasing means includes counterbalancing means connected to said leg means for gravity biasing said leg means toward said closed position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said counterbalance means includes handle means for allowing the opening of said eye for the removal of said ribbon by manually lifting said handle means to swing said leg means forwardly out of contact with said lower lug. 

1. A device for guiding a ribbon in a typewriter or similar machine, comprising a ribbon vibrator having a ribbon guiding recess extending thereinto from at least one lateral side thereof, said vibrator having a first element integral with an upper part of said vibrator and a second element integral with a lower part of said vibrator to define opposite sides of said recess so that said recess is substantially C-shaped and having an arm carried on said vibrator to provide in conjunction with said recess normally a closed ribbon guiding eye which is openable for reception of a ribbon, distinguished by pivotal means carried by said first element to pivotally mount said arm beyond the end of said first element, and biasing means normally biasing said arm to contact said second element across said recess, said elements being so shaped as to cause said arm when so contacting said second element to assume a closed eye position inclined outwards and rearwards from said end of said first element, said arm being so mounted as to be moved readily to wide open eye position by forward pressure exerted thereon, whereby if a stretch of ribbon is lowered behind said vibrator to a position at said recess and then is drawn forwardly, the ribbon will by camming contact move said arm first to wide open eye position and then to closed eye position entrapping thereby the ribbon for guidance in the closed ribbon guiding eye.
 2. The invention set forth in claim 1, distinguished by that said biasing means comprise a counterbalance L-shaped member integral with said arm and adjacent to said first element for gravity biasing said arm to move to said closed eye position, a portion of said counterbalance member being manipulatively operable to move said arm to said wide open eye position for facilitating ribbon removal.
 3. The invention set forth in claim 1, distinguished by that said first element has a substantially horizontal pivot hole affording lug, that said arm consists of plastic material, that said arm has a hole in line with the hole in said pivot hole affording lug, a forwardly extending member integral with said arm having in front of said pivot hole affording lug a hole parallel to the hole in the arm, and a member of U-shaped form having two parallel legs one of which extends pivotally through the hole in said pivot hole affording lug and fits the hole in said arm, and the other of which has a binding press fit in the hole of said forwardly extending member.
 4. A ribbon vibrating device in a typewriter or similar machine, comprising a ribbon vibrator having a ribbon guiding recess extending thereinto from two opposite lateral sides thereof, and having for each one of said recesses a first element integral with an upper part of said vibrator and a second element integral with a lower part of said vibrator to define two opposite sides of the related recess so that each one of said recesses is substantially C-shaped, and having in respect to each one of said recesses a related arm providing in conjunction with its related recess a normally closed ribbon guiding eye which is openable for reception of a ribbon, distinguished by pivotal means carried by each said first element to pivotally mount the related arm beyond the end of said first element, and biasing means normally biasing both said arms to contact the related second element across the related recess, said elements being so shaped as to cause the related arm when contacting the related second element to assume a closed eye position inclined outwards and rearwards from said end of the related first element, each of said arms being so mounted as to be moved readily to wide open eye position by forward pressure exerted thereon, whereby if a stretch of ribbon is lowered behind said vibrator to a position at said recesses and then is drawn forwardly at the lateral sides of both said recesses, the ribbon will by camming contact move both said arms out of its way to said wide open eye position and then to said closed eye position, entrapping thereby the ribbon for guidance in the closed guiding eyes.
 5. The invention set forth in claim 4, distinguished by that said biasing means comprise a counterbalance L-shaped member integral with each one of said arms and adjacent to the related first element for gravity biasing the related arm to move to said closed eye position, a portion of each one of said counterbalance members being manipulatively operable to move said arms to said wide open eye position for facilitating ribbon removal.
 6. The invention set forth in claim 4, distinguished by that each of said first elements has a substantially horizontal pivot hole affording lug, that each one of said arms has extending from it a pivot shaft which extends on the vibrator inwardly to said pivotal hole affording lug and has broad pivotal support hereon, and that at the extending end of each one of said pivot shafts there is a forwardly reaching manipulative member to move the pivotally carried arm to open eye position, each of said arms, its related pivot shaft and its manipulative member being formed of a single stiff bent wire.
 7. Eye members for receiving and guiding a ribbon on a ribbon vibrator of a typewriter or similar machine comprising: upper and lower lugs extending from either side of said ribbon vibrator for defining a generally C-shaped open area on either side of said ribbon vibrator for receiving said ribbon, and a pair of closure members pivotally mounted one each on said upper lugs for closing the open ends of said C-shaped areas for retaining the ribbon therein, said closure members including: leg means extending from said upper lug to the forward surface of said lower lug proximate the open end of said C-shaped area for being pivoted forwardly about said upper lug and out of contact with said lower lug under the influence of forward camming pressure of the ribbon during the insertion thereof into the eye members by lowering a stretch of said ribbon behind said ribbon vibrator to the level of the eye members and drawing said ribbon forwardly around said vibrator, and means for biasing said leg means rearwardly into contact with said lower lug for maintaining said eye member in a normally closed position, said biasing means operating to return said leg means to its normally closed position when said ribbon is brought forwardly beyond the extent of said leg means during insertion of said ribbon.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said biasing means includes counterbalancing means connected to said leg means for gravity biasing said leg means toward said closed position.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said counterbalance means includes handle means for allowing the opening of said eye for the removal of said ribbon by manually lifting said handle means to swing said leg means forwardly out of contact with said lower lug. 